Learn How to Write a Song

Music is one of the most powerful forms of art. It not only creates an enchanting and unifying effect but also lends soul to other forms of art such as dramatics and cinema. Music has evolved immensely in different civilizations over the course of time and is today one of the most revered and loved forms of art all across the globe.

While music can be instrumental also, in most cases it involves lyrics. The combination of words and music makes a song. Songwriting is the art of writing the lyrics for a song and is one of the most important steps in the making of a song. It can be taken up as a hobby or even a successful career. In either case, it requires considerable effort and devotion from the songwriter.

Here are a few songwriting tips that will help you write beautiful songs:

Songwriting- A Charming, Expressive and Soul Warming Art

How to write a song? How to write lyrics? These are the most common questions on the lips of beginners who want to get acquainted with the art of songwriting. Before you get to know how to write a song, it is important for you to completely understand the essence, motive, and power of songwriting. Songwriting is all about expression- it is a medium to express your thoughts, emotions or your opinions in a rhythmic fashion.

It can also be used to inspire, instigate, narrate a story and invoke emotions. The most successful songwriters are the ones who are able to meticulously string their thoughts into words, thus creating songs that directly connect with the souls of the listeners. As a songwriter, you should let yourself feel an emotion completely before you put pen to paper; only then can you truly succeed in your endeavor.

How to Write a Song

In order to learn how to write lyrics or how to write a song, one must learn the basics. There are essentially 4 parts of a song- introduction, verse, chorus and bridge with the verse and chorus being the most important. An introduction, as the name suggests, lays the foundation for the song.

It may or may not be like the rest of the song and in most cases, it is entirely absent from the song. A verse is what a song’s main part is. In terms of length, it may be smaller or bigger than the chorus. Different verses in a song share the same melody but are characterized by different words. A chorus is the part of the song which is repeated again and again.

Unlike a verse, a chorus has the same melody as well as the same words. A bridge, just like the introduction, is not mandatory but is often incorporated by songwriters to express a key change of emotion. It doesn’t match the rhythm of the rest of the song and is usually very short in length.

Now that you are familiar with the basic components of a song, it’s time to learn about the structure. AABA is the most commonly followed structure, especially by beginners. A denotes a verse and B denotes the chorus.

AABA means two verses followed by the chorus which is again followed by another verse. The other common structures are AABB and ABAB. The structure of a song, however, is not strict and it is entirely up to the songwriter how he/she wants the song to be. However, finalizing the structure before writing the song makes the whole process much easier.

Now that you have learned about the basic components and structure of a song, you know how to write a song. The following songwriting tips will help you better your skills-

Listen to the Maestros

If you truly want to learn how to write instant hits, you need to follow in the footsteps of the most successful songwriters. Listen to famous songs and concentrate on their lyrics. Try to notice the words and expressions used by songwriters to convey different emotions of love, pain, separation, agony, victory, failure, vengeance and loss. Concentrating on the lyrics of famous songs will help you learn the techniques used by successful songwriters.

Start With Simple Themes

If you are a beginner, it is strongly advised that you start with writing about simple things before jumping onto complex topics and complicated scenarios. You can write a song on your best friend, first love or even your pet. Remember, songwriting is just like any other art; it can’t be mastered overnight. You need to take one step at a time.

Make Your Song Diary Your Best Friend

Always carry your song diary or notebook with yourself. You can jot down interesting words, expressions, ideas or thoughts whenever you come across them. At the end of the day, you can review them and include them wherever they fit well! This practice is easy but highly rewarding. It will help you add variety and freshness to your songs and will also help you in avoiding a dry spell.

Take the Help of Thesaurus

Thesaurus and rhyming dictionary can be excellent aids if you don’t want to waste your time and efforts in constantly looking for different words to express the same thing or rhyming words to make your song stick to the rhythm. After all, a beautiful song is the one that contains the versatility of words and has a rhyming ring to it.

Always Go For a Catchy Chorus

Of all the tips, this is one of the most important. Since it is repeated again and again, a chorus must be the catchiest part of the song. Make sure that your chorus contains words and emotions that instantly connect with the listeners.

Find Inspiration

As a songwriter, you will have to feel inspired as only a truly inspired soul can churn out the most touching of songs. Take a trip, listen to classics, go out with friends, meet new people or do anything else that will present opportunities for you to feel inspired.

Write From the Heart, Always

Take the example of romantic songs. So many romantic songs get released year after year but only those get immortalized in history which have been written from the heart. Hence, if you truly want to pursue songwriting sincerely, you must commit to writing from the heart. Songwriting is all about connecting with your own soul and heart and putting them to paper.